Ventilating system for tunnels



Sept. 17, 1929. L. KEssLr-:R

I v l VENTILATING SYSTEM FOR TUNNELS y 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. 17, 1927 Sept. 17, 1929. L. KEssLr-:R

VENTILATING SYSTEM FOR TUNNELS Filed 001'.. 17, 1927 HShQBtS-Shevet 2 Patented Sept. 17, 1929 LUUIS KESSLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINS VENTLATING SYSTEM FOR TUNNE'LS i Application filed October 17, 19527. Serial No. 226,628.y

The present invention relates to the art of Ventilating tunnels, particularly of the type through which railway cars are operated; and it has for its object to produce a simple and efficient system for effectively removing foul gases from such tunnels,

In subways or other tunnels through which electric railway cars travel, the gases that must be removed to `insure the comfort and safety of the passengers, rise to the top. Therefore, viewed in one of its aspects, my invention may be said to have for its object a simple and novel system for clearing the upper regions of a tunnel of obnoxious gases.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding` of my invention and of its' objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through an ordinary subway; Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 8 is an elevation of a fragment of one of the collecting conduits; Fig. 4t is a section, similar to Fig. 2, on a larger scale, only a frag* ment of the tunnel being shown; and Fig. 5 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section; showing a fragment of the ventilating system. f

For the sake of brevity, I shall confine the detailed description to my invention as applied to a subway, as shown in the drawings; although it will, of course, be understood that my invention is not limited to this particular use.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a section of an ordinary subway extending between surface stations 2 and 3.' Extending longitudinally of the subway, in each of the two upper corners, is a collecting conduit; while in the middle, just underneath the roof or ceiling, is a longitudinal discharge conduit 4. The dischargey conduit may vent to the outside air in any suitable way. In the arrangement shown, the ends of the discharge conduit terminate in vertical fines 5 and 6 rising to the surface adjacent to and PATENT oFfFICE-; f

extending above the'tops ofthe stations y and 3.

Each collecting'conduit is divided into two parts of equal length, the meeting ends being joined together and to the dischar e conduitf 14`urthermor'e, each half of eac collecting 'conduit is made up ofa plurality of sections decreasing gradually in size from the inner toward the'outer ends. kIn the arl rangement shown,`there yare four of such sections, indicated at?, 8, 9 and 10 respectively. Each half of each collecting conduit' [ter-y minatesat its inner end in' an elbow 1l that is connected to a short transverse conduit 12 leading to an opening into the discharge con-` duit midway'between the ends ofthe latter. The collecting conduits are enlarged on op-y posite sides of and 4near the connections between the saine and the discharge conduit to n form blower casings 13.` kIn each of these casings is placed a power driven yfan or blower 14.' These fans yor blowers areA pref; erably driven electrically, so that the two in each collecting'conduit 'may be controlled n fromI a single switch 15. 'The fans or blowers are so designed that they willdraw .gases from the collecting conduits and force' them out into and through the ydischarge conduit.

The collecting conduits are perforated, preferably by cutting shortslits intothe lsame and then punching the metal outwardly adjacent to theslits to form scoop-like elementsr 16 facing toward theoutcr ends of thefcollecting conduits. f n n When the fans or blowers are inoperation, gases aredrawn into the collecting conduits throughout the entirelengths ofthe latter and travel from both ends toward the middle :in eachofy such conduits.r Thepouter end portions of the collecting conduits are re quired tocarry only the gasesidrawn in at these points; but, as the middle of each collecting conduit is approached, 'therey are ad? ditions to the stream of gases; these additions being accumulative. 1t is for this reason that the collecting yconduits are made to increase gradually from the outer ends toward the middle, therebypreventing the incoming gases at anypoint fromcreating a back pressure that will retard the free fiow of the gases collected at points further out.

ln order to prevent dirt from dropping down into the collecting conduits, l place over each of them a shield 18 extending outwardly from the corresponding side wall of the tunnel entirely across the top of each collecting conduit. rlhese shields lie sufficiently far above the conduits so as not to interfere with the collecting functions of the latter. The same brackets 19 that support the collecting conduits may also support the shields.

Because of the moisture in subways and other tunnels, it is difhcult to secure perforated collecting pipes or conduits that will be lasting. rihe discharge conduit with its branches may be made of galvanized iron, if desired, but galvanized iron collecting conduits cannot be used, l prefer to construct the rcollecting conduits of Monel metal, since such metal will not deteriorate under the influence of moisture andV the gases in the tunnel or subway.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to he limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim l. The combination with a tunnel, of two long perforated collecting conduits extending along the upper portion of the tunnel at opposite sides thereof, a discharge conduit at the center and near the top of the tunnel and connected' to both collecting conduits about midway between the ends of the latter, and suction devices in each collecting conduit on opposite sides of and near the connection between the same and the discharge conduit to draw gases into the collecting conduit and force the gases through the discharge conduit. i

2. The combination with a subway, of two long perforated collecting conduits eX- tending lengthwise thereof in the upper corners, shields extending outwardly from the sides of the subway a short distance above the aforesaid conduit, a discharge conduit connected to the collecting conduits at about the middle of the latter,and power devices in each collecting conduit on opposite sides of and near the juncture of the same with the discharge conduit to draw gases into said collecting conduits and force the same through the discharge conduit.

3. The combination with a subway, of two long perforated collecting conduits eX- tending lengthwise thereof in the upper corners, adischarge conduit extending along the longitudinal center of the subway, just underneath the roof, a connection'between cation.

LOUIS KESSLER. 

